TY - JOUR
T1 - Client preferences, therapy activities and preference-activity match as predictors of therapy outcome
AU - Faye Jacobsen, Celia
AU - Karstoft, Karen Inge
AU - Falkenström, Fredrik
AU - Nielsen, Jan
AU - Lunn, Susanne
AU - Poulsen, Stig
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Objective: This study investigated whether distinct types of psychotherapy activities, the client’s preference towards these activities prior to therapy, and the degree of match between client preferences and therapy activities, served as predictors of treatment outcomes. Methods: A total of 621 clients (Mage = 42 years, 71.7% female) received individual psychotherapy by 54 psychologists. Associations between activity preferences, therapy activities, and preference-activity match as predictors, and symptom change and treatment dropout as outcomes were analyzed using multilevel longitudinal and logistic modelling and polynomial regression models with response surface analysis. Results: No type of therapy activity or activity preference significantly predicted symptom change in therapy, while higher levels of inward orientation therapy activities predicted an increased risk of dropout. Moreover, matching and higher levels of inward orientation and affect expression activities predicted an increased risk of dropout, and matching and higher levels of outward orientation activities predicted a decreased risk of dropout. Finally, a preference-activity mismatch in affect suppression predicted an increased risk of dropout from therapy, both at higher and lower levels of affect suppression. Conclusion: Distinct types of therapy activity preferences may, especially when (mis)matched with similar levels of the same therapy activities, differentially predict particular dropout from therapy. Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05630560.
AB - Objective: This study investigated whether distinct types of psychotherapy activities, the client’s preference towards these activities prior to therapy, and the degree of match between client preferences and therapy activities, served as predictors of treatment outcomes. Methods: A total of 621 clients (Mage = 42 years, 71.7% female) received individual psychotherapy by 54 psychologists. Associations between activity preferences, therapy activities, and preference-activity match as predictors, and symptom change and treatment dropout as outcomes were analyzed using multilevel longitudinal and logistic modelling and polynomial regression models with response surface analysis. Results: No type of therapy activity or activity preference significantly predicted symptom change in therapy, while higher levels of inward orientation therapy activities predicted an increased risk of dropout. Moreover, matching and higher levels of inward orientation and affect expression activities predicted an increased risk of dropout, and matching and higher levels of outward orientation activities predicted a decreased risk of dropout. Finally, a preference-activity mismatch in affect suppression predicted an increased risk of dropout from therapy, both at higher and lower levels of affect suppression. Conclusion: Distinct types of therapy activity preferences may, especially when (mis)matched with similar levels of the same therapy activities, differentially predict particular dropout from therapy. Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05630560.
KW - Client activity preferences
KW - preference accommodation
KW - preference-activity match
KW - response surface analysis
KW - therapy activities
U2 - 10.1080/10503307.2024.2353358
DO - 10.1080/10503307.2024.2353358
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38771973
AN - SCOPUS:85193695697
JO - Psychotherapy Research
JF - Psychotherapy Research
SN - 1050-3307
ER -